A Lot To Give Thanks For
by TheDoctorAndSarah
Summary: Some days, you just can't deliver a baby. Sequel to "Family of Choice" AU, 10/Sarah Jane ** NOW COMPLETE **
1. Chapter 1

**URGENT NOTE:** As you may know, the BBC starts shooting the 50th anniversary special this week. If you'd like to see a proper tribute to Sarah Jane in the special, please consider signing the petition at www dot ipetitions dot com / petition/sarah-jane-smith-dr-who-tribute (automatic link removed because we don't want to break any rules) and passing it on to any groups you belong to. If we all pass it on, we can make a difference! Time (ironically) is of the essence! Thanks!

* * *

This story is a sequel to "Unfinished Business" and "Family of Choice", but all you really need to know is that Sarah's a Time Lady, and she's having a baby. (Impossible? Nope, but you'll have to go back and read those two stories to see how!)

This is AU, of course. Have fun!

* * *

**The Fourth Thursday in November**...

Once she'd found out her baby was due in early November, Martha had been thrilled to accept the Doctor and Sarah Jane's invitation to spend American Thanksgiving with them, but with one stipulation: she had no intention of taking their newborn Cecily on a trip in the TARDIS, so she'd insisted that the party come to them.

And that was just fine. The Doctor and Sarah had both been looking forward to the visit and a chance to play with the baby, even if she was so small she just slept most of the time. The truth was that Sarah was, by this time, very, very pregnant, and they were itching to get their hands on a baby they could actually hold as a way to keep going until their own was born.

So while the rest of British society enjoyed a normal workday, in the Smith household, it was time for The Great Turkey Massacre.

Sarah had cooked an enormous bird the Doctor had purchased in the 34th century with a priceless antique he'd had stashed in the boot cupboard. He maintained that that wasn't cheating, and that turkeys from that era could be that big without having all of the flavor bred out of them or being pumped up with chemicals. "What's the point of having a time machine if you can't eat well?" he'd insisted. "And besides, can you think of any other good that ever came out of owning a Rubik's Cube?"

Jack and Alonzo had rounded out the meal with more side dishes than they could possibly eat, and they'd all enjoyed a huge feast, followed by Jack hooking Mickey's computer up to the television and hacking a network's computer system so they could watch college football. Now Jack and the Doctor were trying to explain American football to Mickey and Alonzo.

Having watched them for a few minutes, Martha tapped Sarah on the shoulder. "Cecily is taking a nap, so I'm going into the kitchen to start on that mountain of dishes, if you want to lower your testosterone exposure a little."

Sarah laughed and pulled herself slowly out of her chair, then waddled into the kitchen with Martha.

"Cecily is so beautiful, Martha. It's so funny that you got pregnant first, but with all the time traveling we're doing, she's just been born, and I'm almost ready to pop! Hard to believe that I've been like this for eighteen months. Oh," she sighed softly as she rubbed her tummy. "I can't wait to see little 'Who's-it' in here." She laughed again as she started gathering up the dishes and putting them in the sink for Martha. "I'd like to be able to see my feet again too."

"Oh, I know exactly how you feel," she laughed with her. "Once I got to the third trimester, all I could think about was getting her out of me and into my arms. Have you started having nesting energy yet? That was such a rush for me. I made poor Mickey do a month's worth of work with me in a week."

"We've been rushing about the TARDIS like mad trying to get everything we need into the room we turned into the nursery. Even the TARDIS is full of energy right now. I think she's almost as excited about the baby as we are."

"Did you find out yet if it's a boy or a girl? I was thrilled when we found out we were having a girl," Martha said as she rinsed off a dish and placed it in the dishwasher.

Sarah shook her head. "We decided we don't want to know. As long as the baby's healthy, the rest can be a surprise."

"Well, you did get all those neutral colored things for your baby shower, but as soon as I find out what you've had, I'm getting something gender appropriate for you to take him or her home in."

"Thank you, Martha. You know, I can't wait to see the Doctor as a father. I'm sure he's going to be wonderful at it. He's been buying all sorts of toys for the two of them to play with. He doesn't know I know, but he's even been reading up on baby care. I'm sure it's the same with you and Mickey. Don't you feel like some days you have two children instead of..." Sarah stopped cold and just stood frozen for a moment. After a few seconds she looked over at Martha. "I think I've just had a contraction," she said in amazement.

"Oh, oh," said Martha smiling excitedly. "I think we better go and get the Doctor, the dishes can wait."

Sarah nodded and headed towards the rec room.

"Doctor? I'm sorry to interrupt the big game and our little celebration, but I need you right now."

Sarah Jane's voice sounded strange. While there wasn't panic in it, there was definitely concern. The Doctor was intimately familiar with how she should have sounded, and jumped up immediately, taking her by the hand. "What's wrong?"

Sarah Jane looked a bit nervously at him. "I think I'm starting to have contractions."

The Doctor felt both his hearts stop for just a moment. "Um ... OK ... we need to... to ..." He looked wildly around, as though he expected a solution to present itself. He felt silly; surely he'd assisted in births before, why should he freeze up now? 'Because this is my child!' he shouted inside.

Jack stood up calmly, smiling. "OK, sweetie," he said, putting a steadying hand on the Doctor's shoulder and using the other to take Sarah's other hand. "How far apart are they?"

"I can't tell yet. I've only had the one so far. I'm not even sure yet it was a contraction. It could be the turkey dinner just settling in my tummy. " Sarah looked over at the Doctor. He looked like he had just been struck by lightning. "There's no pain yet either, darling." She put her hand out to him.

"Pain?" The Doctor yelled, grabbing her hand for dear life. "There's supposed to be pain? Of course there's supposed to be pain, you're having a baby," he said, trying to calm down but not succeeding. "You're having a baby! You're having the baby!"

"Doctor, you need to calm down," Jack said.

"Did I hear that right? Are you having that baby now?" asked Alonzo, who up til then, was concentrating on the game. His eyes growing wide with panic. "You'd better get her to a hospital right away then, Doctor."

"Hospital," the Doctor repeated. "Of course, the hospital! We've got to get you to the hospital!" he said, starting to lead her out the door.

"Hang on a second, everybody," Jack said, "I think we're jumping the gun." But he wasn't sure anybody had even heard him, much less that they'd understood it.

Sarah was trying to calm everyone down as well. Jack still had her by the hand and the Doctor had her other hand. 'Any moment,' she thought, 'I'm going to be in the middle of a tug of war'. She stopped and pulled her hands away and held them up. "Please wait. I'm not even sure I'm in labor yet. Doctor, I just need to sit down."

The Doctor practically shoved a chair under her. "Are you all right, beloved?" He seemed genuinely frightened.

Sarah Jane smiled at him. It felt so good to be so cared for by him. "Yes my dearest, I'm fine." She brushed her hand on his cheek. "I think we should call the doctor before we do anything else and see what it thinks we should do."

"Right, the doctor," the Doctor sputtered, "we should -"

But Jack already had his communicator out and in his hand. "I'm linking in with Doctor Tranq now," he said, putting a hand on the Doctor's shoulder. "I'll have him in a moment."

"In the meantime," Mickey said, "You need to get into the TARDIS so you can get ready. Trust me, I've just been through this and I know the drill."

"I hate to cause such a fuss for a little tightening feeling. Besides, I'm not even sure if this is it yet. I suppose it wouldn't hurt to go back and take a shower and change my clothes. I have a bag already packed too. I'd like to make sure I take it with me," Sarah started to mentally run through everything she needed to do before heading out to the hospital. "I'm sure there's more but I'll think of it while I'm getting ready," she smiled.

"Oh no you don't," the Doctor said, now practically lifting her out of the chair. "You're not having our baby in the shower! Your clothes are fine, and if it's time, I'll grab your bag," he insisted. "Now you just listen to me, all you need to do right now is just get into the TARDIS, and you let me take you to the hospital, all right dear?"

Jack smiled. "Listen, I'm sure it's nothing, but we should probably just get you there and have you checked out, just to make everyone feel better."

Sarah pulled at her hair and sighed. "But I don't want to go looking like this. Can't I have just ten or fifteen minutes to shower and change so I can feel a bit more presentable?"

"OK," Jack said, not even hearing her, "I'm having trouble getting through to his office, so I'm just going to pop off and get the doctor. After I get him, I'll come back for everyone here, and we'll all meet you at the hospital." And with that, he punched his vortex manipulator and was gone.

"I hate when he does that," Alonzo mumbled.

"It's all right, darling," the Doctor said as he led Sarah Jane into the TARDIS. "Everything is going to be just fine."

Martha took Sarah Jane's hand. "As someone who's gone through this before, I can honestly say, don't worry it'll all turn out just fine."

"Thank you Martha," Sarah said as the Doctor opened the TARDIS door.

* * *

The Doctor tried to calm down as he led Sarah into the TARDIS and set her on the jump seat. He knew he shouldn't be panicking, but this was literally a first-time event - and not just for him, either. There had literally never been a Time Lord baby. Oh, Gallifreyan babies, sure, but not Time Lords. Before Rassilon, Gallifreyans had been a superstitious society, steeped in magic and mystery, and traditional live bearers. Then Rassilon, Omega, and the Other had given the Gallifreyans the ability to travel through time, creating the Time Lords and giving them extra-dimensional capabilities - and overthrowing the ruling Pythia, prompting her to curse the Time Lords with sterility. If Rassilon hadn't invented the Looms, the Time Lords would have been extinct right then and there. And if the descendants of the Pythia - the Sisterhood of Karn - hadn't been destroyed in the Time War, Sarah still wouldn't be pregnant.

So the Doctor felt that his nervousness was somewhat justified; absolutely nothing was a given with this pregnancy. What if something went wrong with the delivery? What if Time Lords simply weren't able to give birth?

Thankfully, Doctor Tranq was the best xeno-obstetrician in the universe, specializing in births for species about which little was known. Once they'd gotten past the fact that he normally worked for zoos - where else would you need a xeno-obstetrician? - they'd realized that he was amazingly good at what he did, and he'd put them at ease. He reminded himself of that as he set the coordinates for the hospital Doctor Tranq had specified. "All right, Sarah, just relax, we'll be there in just a moment."

"It's alright, I'm relaxed. It's you that I'm worried about." Sarah rubbed her tummy with a blissful smile. She was imagining herself with her precious baby in her arms and the Doctor smiling dotingly at the two of them. "We're just fine daddy, aren't we my little love?"

"Good, good, you just stay fine, both of you," he said distractedly as the TARDIS thudded to a halt. Putting an arm around her, he hustled her out the TARDIS door.

Two steps later, the floor fell out from under them.


	2. Chapter 2

Thankfully, it was just a short drop to a slide, then a slightly longer drop into something suspiciously like mud at the bottom of a cavern.

"What's happening? Where are we," said Sarah with concern when she stopped sliding. "This definitely doesn't look like the hospital."

"No," the Doctor said, looking around. "I'd say this is very not good." He looked her over. "Are you all right?"

"I'm perfectly fine," she smiled with reassurance. "However, I do think we should get back in the TARDIS and head for the hospital as quickly as possible."

The Doctor stared up at the way they'd come down. "Not really an option right now, I'm afraid. We'll have to find another way." He helped her to her feet.

Sarah looked at him in disbelief. "What do you mean, 'another way'?" Everyone is waiting for us at the hospital right now."

"And they'll be there when we get there, but unless being pregnant has given you the power of flight, we're going to have to find another way to get back up to the TARDIS." He forced a smile on his face. "It's all right, we've been in tougher spots."

He'd caught sight of a tunnel off the side of the cavern as they'd come down, but when he turned back toward it, he found that it was now blocked by what looked like three large lobsters. "On the other hand," he continued, "we've definitely had better days."

Sarah was having another contraction, but decided this wan't a good time to tell the Doctor, after all, he was worried enough for both of them without that little bit of news. As for the lobster creatures, she hadn't spotted them yet. "Normally Doctor, I would say this is a walk in the park compared to our usual adventures, but since I'm in this condition, I'm not saying anything to jinx us. Let's just start walking shall we?"

The Doctor pointed a finger at the floor, where she was looking, then gradually moved it upward until her eyes tracked to the lobsters.

Sarah Jane swallowed hard. "Oh dear, that's really not good is it? Do you suppose it would be asking too much to hope that they're friendly?"

"Hope springs eternal," he said brightly, striding confidently over. "Hallo, I'm the Doctor, and this is my wife Sarah Jane. She's about to give birth, so if you could just --" He saw the claw coming at him, so he was able to get out of the way before it smacked him in the head, but still, it wasn't a good sign.

Neither were the flurry of rocks and sharp sticks that suddenly started flying around the small cavern. The Doctor launched himself toward Sarah, gently lowering her to the muddy floor and throwing himself on top of her as well as he could until everything was silent.

"Darling," said Sarah Jane in a high pitched tone. "Darling," she said louder when he didn't answer her.

The second time, he heard her. "Yes? Are you all right?" He slowly lowered himself off of her, looking around to see what had happened.

"My water just broke," she said.

"Ah, no, no, no..." the Doctor whined. "Not now..." He pulled himself together. "All right, don't panic, everything's going to be fine." Carefully, he stood up and looked around, and saw the three humanoids staring at the two of them. "Hallo," he said carefully, "as I was saying, I am the Doctor, and this is my wife Sarah Jane. She's now reeeeeeeeeally about to give birth, so if you could just point us to a way to get up to where that starts," he said, pointing to the bottom of the slide, about 4 meters over their head, "we'll be on our way."

Sarah Jane was looking back and growing more and more concerned. She grabbed the Doctor's sleeve and tugged at his arm. "Dear, those lobster things look like they're about to put people bibs on. I say we make a run for it. Don't worry about me, I'll keep up with no trouble at all." She looked as if she were about to bolt without him.

"I don't think we're running anywhere," the Doctor said quietly. "On the upside, the lobster-things seem to be incapacitated. You can tell by collapses in their lower tail sections." He waited a moment more, then moved slowly toward the first humanoid. It's gray skin seemed to sparkle slightly in the dim light from the phosphorescent walls. "We're not a threat to you."

"You have entered the sacred chamber," it said quietly.

'Well, that's never good,' the Doctor thought. "Actually, we were rather taken to the sacred chamber." He pointed again at the opening in the wall. "We'd very much like to leave."

"This is not the sacred chamber," the being said impatiently. "That is above us. It is where you came from."

"Ah, well, there it is, then. If you could just point us to the sacred chamber, we'll be on our way."

"You will come with us, our leader must examine you."

"Listen, the only one we need to be examined by --" He jumped as the being poked him in the ribs with a pointed stick. "Is your leader. Come along, Sarah, let's go get examined." He held a hand out for her.

Sarah took his hand and started walking. She decided that she still didn't want to worry the Doctor by mentioning the contraction she'd had. She wasn't in pain yet, and she was sure they had time to clear things up and leave. As long as these beings were more reasonable than the lobster-things. She sighed, wondering what the chances were of them letting the two of them go back to their sacred chamber and the TARDIS. 'The Doctor will save us,' she thought to herself. 'After all, he always does.' She reached out her hand and smiled at him as she walked.

The Doctor, meanwhile, was having serious doubts. Part of his mind was doing what it always did. It was running through all the possible scenarios and options for getting them out of this. The rest of it was occupied with 'WHAT WAS I THINKING, HAVING A CHILD WITH THE KIND OF LIFE I LEAD? WAS I OUT OF MY MIND?' He decided not to tell Sarah about that, and reminded himself that they'd talked about this and decided they could handle it. 'Yeah,' he thought to himself, 'that's a lot easier to think about in the comfort of the TARDIS.' He pushed all of that out of his mind for the moment; he could see the corridor opening up ahead of them into an enormous cavern, and he needed to put his best foot forward.

Meanwhile, the lobster people saw the humanoids leading them away, and followed closely behind. A few moments later, a loud noise, somewhere between a clicking and a sort of crunching sound, filled the chamber.


	3. Chapter 3

The Doctor heard the sound too, and before anybody could react, he had whipped out the sonic screwdriver, adjusted its settings, and pointed it at the two following crustaceans, who started swaying, seemingly in pain, then scurried back to what they thought might be a safe distance.

The humanoids stared at him. "What did you do?"

"I set it on 'cook'. Now, shall we go?" He motioned for them to move on. The sooner they could get this over with, the better.

The grey humanoids eyed him with a bit more respect and motioned him onward with a tilt of their heads. "It's over that hill."

Sarah looked at the Doctor incredulously. "You didn't... you don't have a 'cook' setting on the sonic do you?"

"Well, not really," he said as they walked. "But it vibrates molecules, and that generates heat. I wouldn't want to make dinner with it, but it's enough to make them uncomfortable."

She gave him a twisted smile. "Maybe these people are the ones with the butter and lemon juice. With a little luck, they might make you their new leader."

"I'll be satisfied if they make me a map back to the TARDIS, thank you," he murmured.

Sarah Jane shook her head at him as she kept walking. "You know, some things about you just don't change. You still don't laugh at my puns."

"Don't provoke me," he said, as he squeezed her hand and smiled.

The cavern was dank and wet, and every surface seemed to be covered with a slippery coating of either minerals or some sort of algae, and the Doctor wasn't particularly keen to figure out which. The smell of food cooking over thermal vents mixed with the sounds of children playing quietly off in a corner, but everyone else seemed lethargic and defeated. "It looks like a refugee camp," the Doctor said.

"And so it is," their guide said. He left his two compatriots in charge of Sarah and the Doctor and went off to speak with another of his kind, a tall, thin humanoid whose skin, like that of many of the beings here, the Doctor realized, had gone from gray to a sickly wrinkled green, contrasting with the children's skin of a powder blue. A few gray adults were scattered among the mass, but they were they exception.

"Elders and children," the Doctor realized.

"What?" asked Sarah when she heard him mumble to himself.

"There's mostly children and old people here. Something's happened." The leader approached them, and the Doctor put his friendliest foot forward. "I see you've had some trouble."

"More than some," the leader said, taking the Doctor's outstretched hand tentatively. "I am Weller, leader of the Gonofin. This is Rosin, Bakra and Orsin," he said, motioning toward their guards.

"It's very nice to meet you all. I'm the Doctor, and this is my wife, Sarah Jane."

Sarah reached her hand out to him. "Pleased to meet you."

Weller shook her hand. "It is pleasing to meet anyone who has a defense against the Lobstermen. They -"

The Doctor interrupted him. "I'm sorry, did you say, 'Loberstermen'?"

"Yes, that is what they are called. The Lobstermen."

The Doctor raised an eyebrow. "I think the TARDIS might be translating a little too literally, but let's leave it at that. So you've been having some trouble with them."

"They have been hunting us. You were apparently caught in a trap they added to our sacred chamber."

"Ah," the Doctor said, understanding dawning. "So you weren't trying to capture us at all."

"No, actually, my people were trying to rescue you," said Weller.

Sarah Jane tried to stay calm. She told herself that they were with the nice inhabitants of the planet and there was nothing to be afraid of. Then the contraction stopped and she remembered that this part of the adventure that never lasted long. Probably, and quite soon, there would be some sort of trouble brewing, then she and the Doctor would get separated and one or both of their lives would be in great danger. "Doctor, let's just meet with their leader and tell him to help us get back to the TARDIS, all right?"

"Weller is their leader, yeah?" The Gonofin confirmed it. "So why are you fighting with the Lobstermen? What's it all about?"

"We are not fighting with them Doctor, we are hiding from them. We are their main food source. For years they have hunted us down and killed us to survive. Our numbers grow fewer every day. We can't find enough food to eat and we can only go out at night to look for it."

"Oh my, I wasn't wrong then, when I said they were putting people bibs on," said Sarah Jane in alarm.

"Doesn't look like it, no. Well then," the Doctor said, falling back on centuries of experience in inter-species conflicts, "we're just going to have to find something else for them to eat, so the two of you can co-exist."

"I'm afraid we don't have time for that Doctor," Sarah Jane said as the next contraction started. "I'm in labor, and the pains have started," she said between gritted teeth. "We've got to leave, **NOW**," she shouted at him.


	4. Chapter 4

The Doctor seemed to be struck for a moment. "Yes, right, of course!" He stared at Weller for a moment, as if trying to figure out what to do. "Change of plans," he said. "You get us back to the sacred chamber, we take everybody in the TARDIS, and as soon as this baby is born, I find you a new home, all right?"

"I know how to deliver a baby," said one of the women. "Come lay down over here by the fire and the child will be born in no time."

Sarah Jane looked at the mud floor and everyone staring at her. She didn't want to be rude, but she really didn't want to have her baby here, and with an audience to boot. "Sorry, that's not going to keep anyone safe if they attack us, is it Doctor?" Her eyes were pleading with him.

The Doctor rubbed his eyes. Why couldn't anything ever be easy? "If you stay here, the Lobstermen are going to eat you," he said, mentally adding, 'I can't believe I just said that.' He squeezed Sarah's hand to reassure her. "I can find you a place just like this one. Believe me, we've got the whole universe at our disposal. What's so special about the sacred chamber? Aside from, you know, being sacred."

"It is the last dwelling place of our ancient ones. Long ago, our people walked this land during the day and without fear. We danced and feasted and were content. Then the clawed ones came and hunted us down. There were so many of us then and we lived in peace. But we had no weapons, we eat only the fruits of our land, so all we could do was run and hide when they came after us," Weller gestured sadly at his people, who were standing there, pale and feeble. "These are all of us that remain, and we won't last much longer, but we don't want to leave our only home. We've never lived anywhere else."

"So basically Doctor," said Sarah Jane. "What we have here are a group of peaceful, tree hugging, vegetarian, hippie sorts who lived here happily until 'The Lobstermen from Mars' landed and started chowing down on them."

"Well, I very much doubt they're from Mars, Sarah, I mean ..." He caught the look she was giving him. "Ah, yes, humor. Right." He shook his head. "All right, look. I understand that you've always lived here in harmony with the land and all that, but I'm afraid that I just don't have time to defeat the alien menace at the moment, so if you'll all just come with me, you can start new traditions on some other idyllic planet, and hopefully that one won't be invaded by anything hungry. I promise you'll like it, and if you don't, I'll bring you back. All right?"

"But the ancient ones..." he looked at the Doctor as if he had three heads and the middle one was on fire.

"Doctor, I think what he's trying to tell you is that the sacred chamber is their burial grounds," said Sarah.

"Ah! Of course!" he told Weller. "Yes, of course. Sorry, a bit preoccupied with my wife having a baby. Tell you what, you all come with me, and after we get you settled we'll very carefully, very reverently, move your ancient ones to be with you. All right? Now let's go, everyone," he said, motioning for them to start moving.

Weler looked at him in horror. Then he pinned him against the wall of the cave in anger. "You will not defile our people or our land. Not while there is breath in our bodies." Everyone in the cave was on their feet and standing behind Weller, glaring at the Doctor."

"I don't think that was such a good idea, dear," said Sarah. "Better make then another off..." Sarah doubled over and grabbed at her stomach. "Look talk to them, do something else, anything, just get me out of here." Sarah said with a moan.

"Right," the Doctor rasped, grabbing at Weller's forearm on his throat. "I humbly apologize for suggesting that anybody defiles anything. I truly meant no offense. Please forgive my ignorance." He waited for a response.

Weller drew back and motioned for his people to back away as well. "It would be better to eaten by the Lobstermen than to commit sacrilege. You are free to go, just leave the sacred place untouched." He hung his head in dispair. "We will perish in our own land."

The Doctor rubbed the back of his head where it had hit the cavern wall and stretched out his neck. "Weller, I'm so sorry for offending you." He could see that Sarah was really fighting back a moan. "I really can help you, but I can't do it right at this moment," he said gently. "If you and your people come with me, I promise that as soon as the baby is born we'll find a solution that doesn't involve sacrilege of any sort."

Weller looked deeply into the Doctor's eyes and then at his people. They were cold, sick and hungry. He didn't want to watch them die or to be killed. This man knew how defeat their enemies. He turned back to the Doctor. "If we go with you, you must promise to bring us back. This land is a part of us because our ancient ones lie within it."

The Doctor breathed a sigh of relief. "I promise you, we'll come back. Now if you don't mind, I'm afraid our ship is in the sacred chamber."

"Very well, we will walk and pray as we cross over the sacred chamber." He turned to his people. "Gather your belongings and prepare to leave."

"Er ... listen, since we're coming back, and because we're very much in a hurry here, perhaps your people can simply grab the essentials?"

Weller nodded. "Very well, take only what you need, and get it quickly," he instructed his people. In a few moments, they were ready to leave.

As they headed out of the cave, they only managed to go a few paces before they rounded a corner into a corridor full of Lobstermen. The Gonofin huddled close and looked to Weller for guidance. Weller in turn, looked to the Doctor for help.

"All right," the Doctor said carefully, staring at the Lobstermen and slowly pulling out the sonic screwdriver. "Is there another exit behind us or is this pretty much it?"

"I'm afraid there is no other way out, Doctor," said Weller.


	5. Chapter 5

The Lobstermen grew closer and looked at them menacingly.

"Figures," the Doctor said. "There's never a back door when you need one. All right, I'm going to try and drive them back. Weller, you need to get Sarah and your people to the sacred chamber. Sarah will get you into the TARDIS, won't you, Sarah, and before you say anything, don't argue with me, just do it." He pointed the sonic screwdriver at the Lobstermen. "Ready?"

Sarah Jane opened her mouth to say something, hesitated, then looked over at the Doctor and said nothing. She sent her thoughts and her love to him. She knew that the most important thing to do right now was to protect their child. "After you," she said to the Gonofin.

"Now!" the Doctor shouted as he pointed the sonic and started driving the Lobstermen back.

As she headed with Weller towards the sacred chamber and where she thought the TARDIS was, three Lobstermen jumped in front of her. She jumped back in fear, but just then, another contraction started. She tried to control the pain, but when one of the Lobstermen grew closer to her, she snapped. Before Weller even realized what she had done, she grabbed the huge stick from his hand, and swung out wildly. As it connected with the Lobsterman's head, the creature fell back. Then Sarah went after the one next to it. "Right, I have had enough of this!" she screamed out as she hit it and it went sprawling. "You're next," she said jabbing the last one in the side and hitting it soundly on the head as it keeled over.

She looked over to where the Doctor was trying to fight off six of them at once. "Hang on baby, mummy will be with you as soon as she gets daddy." She stomped over to one of the Lobstermen and tapped it on the shoulder. "Beat it!" she screamed as she hit it as hard as she could right between the eyes. As the labor pain washed over her, she hit a Lobsterman that was about to grab the Doctor's neck in his pincer. "Ahhhhh," she yelled out as the pain shot through her. "My Baby," she said hitting it on the claw. "Is NOT," she hit it again. "Going to be eaten... " She swung around and smacked the stick with a crunch into another's head. "BY **ANY **OF YOU!" She stepped on one's tail, and when he turned on her howling, she whacked it in the middle and it doubled over. "AND I AM HAVING IT," she said running the stick into another one. "IN A HOSPITAL, **THE WAY IT SHOULD BE BORN**!" She hit the last one as the labor pain ended. As Sarah stopped to catch her breath, she looked around, at the Lobstermen lying all over the ground.

The Doctor caught his breath, surveying the carnage around them. For a few moments all he could do was stare. Here he was worried about protecting her and the baby, and ... He shook his head slowly, seeing not just the six she'd saved him from, but the three original victims of her temper. "Remind me," he said, retrieving the sonic from where it had been knocked out of his hands, "not to get on your bad side until after the baby is born." He put an arm around her and sent her more love than he'd thought he could possibly possess. "Weller, if you don't mind I think we need to really pick up the pace at this point."

Weller had been staring at Sarah Jane since she grabbed his stick from him. "Yes, of course,"he said in awe. He began to head once more to the sacred chamber. He turned to the Doctor as he walked, gingerly picking his way past the moaning Lobstermen. "Your woman is a great warrior, I only wish she was one of our people. You must be very proud of her Doctor."

The Doctor tried not to laugh. "I'm always proud of her, Weller." He kissed her on the head, and practically carried her to the TARDIS.

* * *

When they arrived at the sacred chamber, the entire column stopped and stared. "Doctor ..." Weller started.

"Yes, right," the Doctor said, taking a breath to start the explanation. Then Sarah moaned, and he changed his mind. "Listen up, everyone, we're in a hurry, so I'm just going to say 'watch your step'," he said, pointing to the trap door through which he and Sarah had fallen, "and don't say a word, just come in and I'll explain later."

Sarah Jane scrambled into the TARDIS and sighed with relief. No matter what else happened now, at least she was home and safe. She decided that she wasn't setting a foot out of the TARDIS unless she was sure they were at the hospital. "I'm going to go change and clean up, Doctor. I'll be back in a few moments."

The Gonofin were still entering the TARDIS, their eyes wide with amazement. Suddenly, one of the youngest ones saw a baseball-sized creature with tentacles and ten eyestalks sitting on the edge of the control panel and started screaming with terror. The others froze as they stared at it with fear. Sarah Jane turned to the child and held her, soothing her as she brushed her head with her hand. "It's alright sweetheart. He's won't hurt you. He's really very friendly." 

The Doctor sighed. The little cephlapod looked as if he were about to jump onto the head of one of the Gonofin as it passed by. "Norman, behave yourself," he said. "Scoot."

Norman scampered off and out of sight, and the Doctor directed everyone through the corridors to the garden, one of the larger rooms and the one most likely to feel familiar to the Gonofin.

Sarah walked with them, then turned to the Doctor with a weary smile as she reached their bedroom. "I'll be out in a few minutes." She put her hand on the doorknob and then suddenly dropped down, her body balanced on her ankles. She moaned loudly as she put a death grip on the doorknob and squeezed it till both her hands went white.

"Oh no you don't," the Doctor said, cradling her in his arms. "I'm going back to the console room and I'm getting us to the hospital. Whichever one of you was offering to help deliver this baby," he shouted, "stay here I'll be right back!" And with that, he was off.

Sarah Jane opened her mouth to call out to him, but he was already gone. She moaned and looked around. The entire tribe was staring at her. She laughed mirthlessly at them. "_Deja vous_," she said as she turned to the woman who was trying to get her to lay down on the floor. "If he lands anywhere but the hospital, I swear, his voice is going to be seven octaves higher before this baby is born," she said, gritting her teeth.

Meanwhile, the Doctor checked and re-checked the coordinates for the hospital, his hands shaking. 'All right, girl,' he thought to the TARDIS, 'this time you absolutely **must **get this right.' He picked up the sledgehammer and slammed the actuation button, perhaps a tad harder than he meant to. 'Sorry,' he thought.

Sarah meanwhile, kept her hands on the doorknob, squeezing it until the contraction stopped. She then pulled herself up, still clinging to the doorknob until she was standing. She smiled politely at the woman who was trying to help her. "Sorry, no offense, but you see I have my baby's birth all planned out in my mind, and I'm not settling for anything less. Would all of you just stay here please? I have to go talk to my husband." She headed towards the console room with a very determined expression on her face. "Doctor, I swear, if the TARDIS doesn't get us to the hospital soon, I'm going to knacker her, one piece at a time," she said as she entered the room.

"Did you hear that, TARDIS?" he asked the air. "I'm absolutely certain she means it." He put an arm around her and guided her to the jump seat. "Everything is going to be fine." But deep inside, he was sweating bullets, watching the readouts for seemingly endless minutes and trying to will the TARDIS to move faster. Especially when the next labor pain started.

"Oooohwhhhoohhhooooohhh, Doctor," Sarah said, gripping onto the edge of the bench. "Please!" she gasped. "Get me to that hospital now, please, please, now." She slid onto the floor, holding her sides, rolling in pain.

The Doctor's hearts skipped a beat as she slid into the floor. He looked around frantically; there simply wasn't a way to make the TARDIS go any faster. He knelt down beside her and took her hand. "Just ... can't you just hold it in for another minute or two?" The look she gave him was a more than sufficient answer, and he ran to the hallway. "Oi! Whichever of you is the midwife, I need you right here, right now!" He went back to Sarah. "Darling I love you so much and I'm sorry we didn't get right to the hospital the first time but I think the TARDIS is moving a little slowly so that she's sure she gets it right this time, and please don't have the baby right here on the floor, and ow-ow-ow-ow-ow," he finished, trying to extricate himself from the death grip she had on his tie, which she was now twisting around on her hand as it got tighter and tighter until his face was right up against hers.

"I said, hospital, **now**. I am having this baby, in a pristine, sterile environment, not caked in mud, not on the floor, and not delivered by an alien who's name I can't pronounce. I want her or him to be examined by my obstetrician and given a clean bill of health, then wrapped in a soft clean white blanket and placed lovingly in my arms." She clutched his shoulder with the other hand and screamed in his face as the next contraction started. **"IS THAT CLEAR**?"


	6. Chapter 6

"Crystal clear," the Doctor croaked, saying a silent 'thank you' as the TARDIS landed with a thud.

The Gonofin who had tried to help Sarah before slowly walked into the room. Sarah Jane looked at her, then turned to the Doctor. "Open that view screen," she said to him in a very quiet, but blood-curdling tone.

Before the Doctor could even try to comply, the TARDIS door slammed open and Jack burst in. He stood there for a moment, taking in the scene. Sarah was lying on the floor, clothes torn, caked with mud and something slimy, holding the Doctor's tie. The Doctor, bruised, clothes torn and also caked with mud and slime, his face turning red (apparently from being strangled) was unsuccessfully reaching for the console. And an alien stood in the doorway, looking confused, with what looked like several dozen others looking on. "Man," Jack said, "I leave you two alone for five minutes..."

Sarah Jane looked over at him. She dropped the Doctor's tie and let go of his shoulder. She leaned back on the floor and sighed. "Jack," she breathed heavily. "Get a wheelchair, quickly."

The Doctor breathed a sigh of relief, and not just because he finally could. They were at the hospital, and everything was going to be fine. Finally. He fell back and sat for a moment while Jack got a wheelchair, then helped her into it. Silently, he kissed her head and wheeled her down the ramp and out of the TARDIS. "Jack, don't ask questions, those are the Gonofin, just show them to the garden and ask them not to touch anything, then meet me back out here."

Jack saluted and did as he was asked, but there was a twinkle in his eye that clearly said, "You've got some explaining to do."

As soon as they reached the bottom of the ramp, the nurses took the wheelchair and headed to the delivery room with the Doctor in tow. Martha and Mickey, along with Alonzo, just stared in shock at their condition as they swept past them. "Doctor, what happened?" asked Martha as he rushed by.

"Let's just say not taking Cecily in the TARDIS was a good choice," he shouted behind him. "I'll explain later!"

Martha's mouth hung open as she turned and shrugged at Mickey and Alonzo.

"Wonder where Jack's gone off to," was all Mickey could say.

"Is it always like this with them?" asked Alonzo.

"No," said Martha calmly. "Sometimes it's much worse."

* * *

In a very short time the nurses had Sarah Jane cleaned up. They had taken her dirty clothes off and gotten her into a soft pink gown with pink slipper socks to keep her feet warm. A motherly looking short woman with purple glistening skin, wearing a pale green uniform, entered the room smiling as she pulled an equipment cart behind her. "Hello there my dears, I'm Obstetrical Nurse Ramina, I'm going to be assisting Dr. Tranq for the delivery. If you'll just give me a moment to check you out and hook you up to an IV, I'll be out of your way until you're ready to start the serious part of your labor." She listened to Sarah's heart beat and then hooked the IV up. She also checked to see how dilated Sarah was. "Hmm, looks like you got here not a moment too soon."

Sarah Jane looked worriedly at her.

She patted Sarah on the shoulder confidently. "Now you're not to worry about anything, just relax as much as possible and save your strength. Your contractions should start coming pretty strong at this point and soon, they'll last a bit longer than they have been up till now. You got here almost too far along for us to be able to give you any pain medication. Fortunately though, the doctor will be able to give you something to help with the pain. We'll be there to help you manage the rest. Since this is your first child, there's no telling how things will progress. I can promise you that it won't be too long before you start crowning. You're almost dilated enough for that now.

Just then Dr. Tranq gently glided in, fully prepped. For a moment, Sarah was struck by the absurdity of the specialized gloves on his front tentacles, but she'd long ago adjusted to the idea of a cephalopod obstetrician, and anyway, she had more pressing things on her mind just now.

"How are we today?" Dr. Tranq smiled at them, settling his body on a chair in front of Sarah Jane. "Time for your baby to be born my dear, ready?"

Sarah Jane nodded and then looked over at the Doctor. "Just keep holding my hand, alright?"

"Sorry dear," said the nurse talking the Doctor by the hand. "He's going to have to get prepped for this too," she said. "But not to worry, I'll get him right back to you as soon as he's finished. Come along with me please, Doctor."

"But ... but ..." he stammered as she guided him out of the room. "I love you!" he shouted from the door.

Sarah watched him leave, then turned to Dr. Tranq. "He won't be long will he?" she asked in a small frightened voice.

"Would you like me to wait till he returns?" Dr. Tranq asked patiently.

"Oh, if only you could, I would be so grateful," said Sarah as she leaned back and sighed with relief. "Thank you Doctor Tranq."  


* * *

"OK, Doctor, do you understand what you need to do here in order to help your wife?" said the nurse.

"Um ... actually, no, I thought my job was basically to hold her hand," he said nervously. "What else am I supposed to do?"

"It's pretty simple, but very important. She's going to need you there for support. This next stage is the one of the hardest. It usually lasts about an hour or two. You need to listen carefully here because this part will be crucial for your wife. You do need to hold her hand, but you also need to see to it that she's in a comfortable position in the birthing chair. Keep telling her how well she's doing. Encourage her to do anything we ask her to do. I'll be placing a tray of cold wash cloths and things near where you'll be sitting. Make sure you use them to wipe her face. Soon, the contractions are going to be fewer between and the pains longer. Give her very small sips of water or ice chips between contractions. Got all that? Any questions?"

"No," he said quietly. "No questions." Of all the things they'd done together, all the dangers they'd faced, he didn't know why, but this one seemed the most... perilous. "Wait, I do have a question. What if I ... what if I get it wrong?"

The nurse put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "It's OK, the doctor and I will be right there and really, about the only thing you can do wrong is give her too much water. If you do, she'll 'toss her cookies' as they say. Now, wash up and let's get you back into that birthing room. I have a feeling somebody in there is missing you right about now."

"Yes, right, of course," he said, and washed up as fast as he could, put on the hospital gown he was given, then hurried back inside. "There we are, then," he said, feigning confidence. "I know what I'm doing and I'm ready to have this baby."

"Good," said Sarah. "Change places with me and I'll watch."


	7. Chapter 7

The Doctor was confused for a moment, then realized what he'd said. "Yes, well, right now I feel so confident I almost could," he said, then broke down and laughed. "All right, all right, you caught me out. I love you." He kissed her.

She kissed him back. "I love you too. The doctor was kind enough to wait for you to get back before he started." She reached for his hand and held it. "I'm ready now," she said to Doctor Tranq.

"Alright then Sarah Jane," he said. "I'm going to inject each side of your cervix with a pain killer. I'll be repeating this several times during your labor as needed. Each injection lasts up to an hour or so. You should start to feel the effects of the first two injections in about five minutes." The nurse lifted the bottom of Sarah's gown and then handed the doctor a set of needles that were each about five inches long.

The Doctor's eyes bulged a bit and all of that confidence he'd felt a moment ago dribbled out of his shoes. He quickly turned his back to Dr. Tranq and concentrated on Sarah, giving her a weak smile. "All right then," he squeaked.

"I'm going to inject the pain killer a little at a time as the needle enters the site so you feel as little pain as possible," the doctor informed her.

Sarah just stared into the Doctor's eyes and smiled.

She flinched as the first needle entered her body then she took a deep breath and released it. She flinched once more, and then it was over.

"You did great. You should be fine now. I'm going to have the nurse hook you and the baby up to a heart monitor. The next stage of the labor should be starting shortly."

Sarah Jane looked over at the Doctor. He was trying to look calm and not doing very well at it. "It's alright darling, I'm fine now. Thanks to you, the baby and I are safe, and where we need to be."

"I'm glad, darling," the Doctor smiled at her. "Just remember, soon we're going to have a baby."

"He's right," said Dr. Tranq. "Now we wait a short while until the next stage begins. You'll know when it's started, the labor pains will be shorter apart and a bit longer than they have been up to now."

The nurse came back into the room with a tray table that held cold washcloths, water and a bucket of ice chips. She wheeled it over to the Doctor and smiled at him. "Ready to start working?" she smiled at him.

Dutifully, he picked up a washcloth and a cup of ice chips and smiled. "Ready!"

* * *

Soon Sarah started the next stage of labor. She was doing fine for about twenty minutes, until in the middle of a contraction she started to shake.

Holding her hand and with an arm around her shoulders, the Doctor felt it first. An icy knot sprang into existence in his stomach. "Are you all right? Doctor, she's shaking, is she all right?"

The nurse came over to them and watched Sarah shake for a few moments and then stop. She patted the Doctor's shoulder. "It's alright, nothing to worry about. This is very common during this stage. Just hold her and keep encouraging her. Make sure she stays as calm as possible right now. This part is almost over. It shouldn't last much longer."

The next contraction soon started and Sarah began shaking again. She tried to concentrate on just looking at the Doctor and nothing else but she was shaking like a leaf. "What's happening to me Doctor? Is the baby going to be alright?" She tried not to be frightened, but she was.

"Yes, beloved, it's all right, the nurse says this is perfectly normal. You and the baby are going to be just fine." He'd been reassured by the nurse, and he knew intellectually that if this were anybody else's wife and child, he'd be cool as a cucumber. But he wasn't, even if he tried hard to be - on the outside. "You just relax and hold on, the nurse says that this part is almost over, and you have to be calm." He took a cool washcloth and wiped her face. "Are you thirsty?"

"Yes please," she said as she stopped shaking. "You're sure everything's going to be alright?" She looked up at him her eyes begging him to make it better. "You'd tell me if something was wrong, wouldn't you?"

"Yes, of course I would," he said, forcing a smile. He knew from experience that if something was wrong he wouldn't tell her unless he had to. Thankfully, so far, that seemed a moot point. "Everything's going to be all right." He stroked her hair.

Sarah had seven more contractions and each time she shook as if she were going to fall apart. The nurse and the doctor didn't seem to even notice her shaking. It seemed to last forever and the Doctor wondered how long she could go on like this. After a while she stopped shaking and everything seemed to come to a halt.

"Why did the contractions stop?" Sarah grew very concerned. "Is something wrong?"

The nurse came over to them. "No dear, this is just a phase before the next stage starts. You're fully dilated now and in a short while you'll have to start pushing. Just relax and rest for now. Trust me, you'll know when the next stage starts. "

The nurse turned to the Doctor. He was as pale as a ghost and looked as if he would collapse if she touched him. "You're doing fine, keep it up, 'Daddy'," she comforted him.

"Oh ... never mind me, look at her," he said, motioning towards Sarah. "She's doing the hard work. I'm just the washcloth man." He wiped her face again. "So you can just gather yourself right now, darling, and then we'll get to the part where we actually get a baby." He looked up at the nurse. "Right? Next stage is the last?"

The nurse smiled at him. "Not quite yet. But this next stage is the hardest part. It will be over soon, not to worry." She patted Sarah on the shoulder encouragingly. Then she turned back to the Doctor. "Don't kid yourself young man. You've got a very important part in all this right now. She'd be having a much harder time if you weren't here. I've been doing this for over twenty years, and believe me, it's always easier when the father is in here with the mother."

Sarah looked over at him with an adoring smile. She watched him with the nurse. It touched her heart to see him so concerned for her. She knew she could do anything if he was there beside her. Still, she was tired, and thankful for the break in the labor. After a few moments, she drifted off.

The Doctor turned back just as her eyes closed and her body relaxed. "What's happening?" he asked in a panic. "Sarah Jane! Can you hear me?"


	8. Chapter 8

The Doctor did everything but shake Sarah to wake her up.

"It's alright Doctor, she's just sleeping. That happens a lot too. Your wife is fine." The nurse calmed him. "She needs this right now. She'll wake up soon. You try to relax and rest too." 'Definitely a worrier this one,' she thought. She wished, as she often had before, that she was allowed to give the fathers like this a sedative.

Sarah woke for a moment and smiled at him before she went back to sleep.

"Right," he said, realizing that if he'd been thinking more clearly, he would have realized that. 'I can't think straight when it comes to her.' Where was the cool, dispassionate Doctor who would have just looked over and measured her pulse before panicking? Or the passionate Doctor, who would have jokingly tried to wake her up before panicking? 'All in the past,' he thought. 'Now there's just the terrified soon-to-be-father.'

"Would you like me to go out and update your family for you? I have a feeling you don't want to leave her right now." The nurse smiled at him knowingly.

He laughed slightly at himself. "Yes, please, I'm not going anywhere, thank you."

The nurse disappeared for a while and then returned. "They said to give you their best. You and your wife have a wonderful family sir."

He smiled at that. That was one thing they'd gratefully learned at their wedding; family is what you make of it. "Yes, we do, thank you very much. So you were saying that there's another stage after this? Doesn't the baby come out when you start pushing?"

"Eventually it does. This next stage is when the baby comes out. The contractions will slow down to about four minutes apart. It's important that she holds back when she has the urge to push and waits for us to tell her when it's alright for her to push. Just keep encouraging her and she'll do fine. The baby's heart rates and hers are very strong right now. We don't anticipate any problems. The last two stages are very easy. Nothing to worry about."

With the quiet of Sarah's sleeping breaths and the nurse's soothing words, the Doctor was starting to feel better. All four hearts were strong, and that was what mattered. But he was considering whether he could stand it if they had more children. "Thank you."

"Trust me, sir, it's the hardest work anyone could ever do, but the rewards are more than worth it." It was as if the nurse could read his mind. She couldn't, it was just that she was used to what people felt when a new baby was about to enter the universe.

"Everyone feels this way, don't they," he said, realizing what she'd done.

"Yes they do, and they're right. Once you hold your son or daughter in your arms for the first time you'll realize exactly what it means. There's nothing else in the universe that will ever feel that way, especially when it's the first time. No matter how many babies I see being born, the wonder of the miracle never ends." She smiled at him. "Actually, I think I have the best job in the galaxy."

He gave her a wide grin. "I think you do too." He thought about it for a moment. "I suppose that some miracles do involve a bit of pain and anguish, don't they."

"Only the best ones. How else could we appreciate them? Out of pain and anguish comes joy and love. In time if we're lucky, we learn that some things are worth any pain in the universe to achieve. The pain is soon forgotten when the sound of a healthy newborn cry fills the air."

He smiled and gently lay his head on Sarah's. She was worth anything. And their child... he still couldn't imagine what that was going to feel like, even with her or him so close to arrival.

Sarah Jane was just starting to wake back up. She looked up at the Doctor glowingly. "Hallo, Darling."

"Welcome back, Mummy," he said, still feeling good and relaxed and smiling at her. "Or soon to be, anyway."

Sarah adjusted herself in the chair. "I think I woke up because the contractions are coming back." She shifted a bit more and winced. "They are definitely back."

"Well," the Doctor said, "that means we're going to have a miracle soon." He kissed her.

Sarah looked at him in awe. She wasn't sure what had happened while she was sleeping, but to her, the change in the Doctor was nothing short of a miracle itself. "You're wonderful," she said. "That's exactly what I needed you to say."

He beamed at her. He was feeling stronger now, and her approval made him feel even better. He felt like he could take it on now, and be strong for her while she delivered the baby. "Well, I'm back on my stride then, I suppose. Ice chips?" he offered.

"Yes, please. I'm so thirsty right now I could drink a gallon without coming up for air." She gratefully chewed on the ice chips he gave her. "This tastes so good..." Just then she had a strong contraction and she grabbed the arm of the chair and tried not to scream.

"Alright Mrs. Smith, it's almost time for you to go to work," the nurse told her. "Up until now your body's been doing all the work. Now you'll need to do it. When we ask you to, you need to push. The rest of the time you'll need to stop yourself from pushing. Got it?"

"Got it," she said through gritted teeth. "No pushing unless I'm asked to." She gasped for breath and bit down on her lip.

"The pain will be coming harder but slower for about three or more hours. Once the baby's shoulders are out far enough, the worst of it is done because we can help the baby out from there. Right now your baby's head has started to crown. If you look in the mirror over by Doctor Tranq, my dear, you can watch the birth if you like. Mr. Smith, you can come round to this end and watch if you stand back a bit. Would you like to see the top of your baby's head?"

He looked to Sarah for feedback as to whether she thought it was a good idea.

Sarah thought about it for a moment. 'No point in trying to keep my dignity now. After all, the Doctor is about to see me at my worst.' She shrugged shyly. "Go ahead and look dear if you want to. This baby is only going to be born once you know."

"Goodness, I hope so," he said, and tentatively moved to look at the baby. Sure, he was looking at his wife, and she was probably embarrassed about it, but truthfully, his entire gaze was occupied by a 3 inch wide circle of wet red and brown hair. There was a little blood, but he was calm enough now to remember that that was normal. But that hair... that was their child. That was a brand new life that they had created together in a moment of love and affirmation.

That circle of hair was the rebirth of the Time Lords.

He stared for a moment, then wordlessly moved back to Sarah Jane and kissed her gently. "I love you."

Sarah had been watching him nervously and took courage from the expression on his face. "I love you too," she said as she kissed him back. Then she looked over at the mirror and saw what the Doctor had seen. "Oh my, it's the baby isn't it? That's our baby," she said with excitement.

"Yes, that's our baby," he agreed. "It's beautiful, isn't it? Wonderful head of hair, though can't say I'm surprised under the circumstances." He grinned widely.

The nurse smiled to herself and then at Dr. Tranq. They exchanged knowing glances. You could always tell about some parents. These were two of the good ones.

Before Sarah could say anything else, a wave of pain took over her body. She wanted nothing more in the world right now than to squeeze this child out of her. The urge to push was overwhelming. It was as if her body was fighting over her brain for control. She stiffened as she held back. 'How long did that nurse say this was going to last?' No matter, it was too long already as far as she was concerned.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity to Sarah Jane, the nurse said. "Alright my dear, start pushing and keep it up till we ask you to stop."

Sarah gritted her teeth and bore down. She closed her eyes and tears started trickling down her cheeks. After about three minutes the nurse told her she could stop pushing. Finally she relaxed as the contraction stopped.

He'd meant to encourage her during the contraction, but instead the Doctor had wound up simply holding her. Now that it was over, he just caught his breath and grabbed a cool washcloth from the table to wipe her face. "You're doing wonderfully, darling. Everything is going to be fine."

"Doctor, do you remember all those years ago when we were on Space Station Nerva, and I got stuck in the ventilation system?" Sarah said with a smile. "I think I know what the baby must feel like right now."

"Too bad I can't make him mad to get him out faster," he smiled.

Sarah laughed. "If only you could."

With each contraction they could see a bit more of the baby's head. After about forty five very long and painful minutes, they could now see the entire top of the baby's head. "One more push and the baby's head will be out," said Doctor Tranq. "But keep holding back till we tell you to push again."

Sarah Jane nodded. She held back with all her might. Finally she was told to push. She let out a muffled cry and the baby's head emerged. When the contraction was over, Sarah lifted her head to see the baby's head. There was a light film of skin over it, but it was torn now and a small head with a big shock of dark hair stuck out of her body. Sarah laughed weakly at it. "He or she's definitely got your hair dear," she said to the Doctor.

The Doctor had been over the whole of the universe. In almost 1000 years, he'd seen a lot of things - even some babies coming into the world. But he'd never seen anything like the birth of his child. "the baby's ... the baby's amazing. A bit pruny looking so far, but amazing."

Sarah started to laugh, but cried out in pain instead. She gasped as the next contraction started. It felt exactly as if something was trying to tear her in two. Her head shot back and her body lunged forward. She tried as hard as she could to hold back. Waves of pain washed over her and she bit down on her lip as she moaned. She was at the point where she didn't care about anything but getting through the pain. She just wanted it over. She panted as the contraction subsided. She turned to face the Doctor who's eyes were wider than she had ever seen them before.

The Doctor had been holding her shoulders, as though he could keep her from flying out of the chair. When it stopped, he took a deep breath and said, "Sarah Jane, I'm so sorry that I didn't think of this before. Relax, Sarah, the pain is nothing." He brushed his fingers across her forehead and felt the tension drain out of her whole body.

The nurse looked up in surprise to see why Sarah had gone limp so suddenly. "What just happened?" she said with concern. "Did she pass out?"

"No, no, it's fine," the Doctor said, feeling in control for the first time all day. "I've just hypnotized her. She's awake, she just won't feel the pain. Well, she'll feel it, but it won't hurt. Isn't that right, Sarah?"

Sarah Jane looked at him blankly. "The pain is nothing."

"All right, everything is completely normal, Sarah," he said. "You will remember everything, and experience everything except for the pain. Do you understand?"

"Yes Doctor, of course I do, and thank you." She picked up a wash cloth and swabbed at his face. "You look like you could use this now."

He hadn't realized just how much he'd been sweating until she did that. "Thank you, darling, but that's my job." He tenderly wiped her face.

The nurse looked over at the Doctor in wonder. "I don't suppose you'd consider working here? We could really use someone with your gift."

He smiled at Sarah Jane. "Sorry, Nurse Ramina, I'm a one woman hypnotist."

Sarah smiled back at him. "Normally, you know I hate this, but you won't get one word of complaint out of me today."

The rest of the labor went by pretty smoothly. After about another hour and a half, the baby's shoulders were out enough for Dr. Tranq to gently rotate the baby, and slowly and carefully, pull it out the rest of the way.

Sarah watched the procedure excitedly with the Doctor. She let out a little laugh, squeezed the Doctor's hand and scrunched up her shoulders. "The baby's born Doctor, our baby is born."

The Doctor grinned like an idiot. "Yes, that's our baby. But it's... " His smile faded. "Why isn't the baby crying?"


	9. Chapter 9

"His lungs haven't been cleared out yet," said the nurse.

"**His** lungs?" Sarah said excitedly, then turned to the Doctor. "We have a son," she exclaimed.

The Doctor was almost too stunned to say anything. It wasn't that he'd been particularly eager for a boy, it was just hearing that sentence - "we have a son" that completely changed his worldview at that moment. "We have a son," he repeated.

Sarah strained to look but couldn't see anything because the nurse was standing in front of the mirror. She heard a suctioning sound and then all of a sudden it happened. The baby let out a loud trembling cry. Sarah put her hands up to her mouth, she was trembling herself, but with joy. "Oh Doctor, listen to him," she half cried, half laughed. "What a voice!"

The Doctor thought he would just explode with joy, his face aching from the force of his smile. "A good strong voice," he said. "That's our baby!"

Dr. Tranq looked over to the Doctor smiling. "I just clamped his umbilical cord. Would you like to come over here and cut it?"

"Me? Seriously?" He looked over at Sarah. "Do you want to? I mean, you did the hard work."

Sarah was beaming at him. "Yes please, you go do it, besides, I can't exactly get up right now can I," she laughed. "I'll just lie here and watch, But hurry, I'm aching to hold our baby."

The Doctor moved to the baby and took the surgical scissors, and with a little guidance from Dr. Tranq, snipped where he was told to. "If only it were that easy in a metaphorical sense," he said.

The doctor laughed and handed the baby to the nurse. The nurse in turn took the baby over to a table in the back of the room.

The nurse washed the baby off and took his finger and foot prints. The doctor examined him for a few minutes that seemed like an eternity to Sarah Jane, and then signed the necessary paperwork.

He turned and smiled at the Doctor and Sarah. "Congratulations Doctor and Mrs. Smith. You have a healthy baby Time Lord. He is twenty one and a half inches long and weighs seven pounds and three ounces."

The nurse wrapped the baby in a blanket after she had put a name tag on his wrist, diapered him, then put a cap on his head to keep him warm. She brought him over to the Doctor and Sarah Jane. "Here's your little miracle," she said as she laid the baby in Sarah's eager arms.

Sarah gently took him and just stared at him. Two dark blue eyes stared quietly back at her. She gasped as she saw them then cried softly. She looked over to the Doctor who seemed as speechless as she was, and he was crying as well.

He didn't even know why he was crying. He wasn't a crier, really. Maybe it was just pure joy, or the thought of a brand new baby Time Lord. He watched Sarah hold him and reached a tentative hand out to his face. The baby truly was a Time Lord; he could feel that familiar strumming of the threads of the universe that happened when two Time Lords were in close proximity - a feeling he thought he'd never again experience until Sarah Jane had become a Time Lord. Now there were three Time Lords in the universe. Maybe that was why he was crying.

He decided it didn't matter why he was crying, and gently touched the baby's cheek. It was still wet, almost sticky. It was wonderful. "Hello, there son," he said softly. "We're so happy to see you."

The baby turned his head to look at his Father. He didn't cry, but made soft baby whimpers and moved his hands around a bit.

The Doctor thought he would die of Cute Poisoning. "You're a smart little bugger aren't you, my darling boy," he murmured. He held one of the baby's hands, and thought he would simply explode when the impossibly tiny fingers wrapped themselves around his comparatively huge index finger. "Sarah Jane, I'm afraid that after all this time, I've finally been captured and I can't escape."

"Oh he's brilliant," exclaimed Sarah "Look at that! He knows you!" She beamed at both of them. "I'm afraid, Doctor, that I've been captured as well, and I don't ever want to escape from this moment."

The Doctor lay his head on her shoulder and stared at the tiny life they'd brought into the world. "Neither do I."

The nurse watched them for a while and smiled. 'Definitely good ones,' she thought to herself. She let them gush together for a few moments. "Sorry to interrupt you, but I need to ask. Will you be breast feeding?"

Sarah blushed for a moment. "Yes I will."

"That's wonderful, can I ask you to try to feed the baby now please? It'll make the next stage easier for you and it's also good for the baby to be nursing now as well."

"Next stage?" said Sarah, "But the baby's born now. What's left to do?"

"There's not another one in there is there?" the Doctor asked nervously.

The nurse laughed. "No it's just that the placenta needs to come out and if the baby's nursing, it will help with the final contractions." She turned to Sarah Jane. "Are you ready?"

Sarah Jane nodded. The nurse took the baby and turned to the Doctor. "Can you hold your son for a moment while I get your wife situated?"

The Doctor blanched. "Me? What if I drop him?"

The nurse laughed at him. "I wish I got a bonus every time a new Father asked me that. You can't learn this too soon. Here, just hold your arms out and I'll hand him to you. Put one arm around him and make sure you support his head. He'll be fine for a few minutes and you'll survive too."

"I suppose it's a natural question," he mumbled, smiling in spite of himself. He did what she said, and suddenly, he felt both his hearts stop for a moment as a tiny bundle of life rested in the crook of his arm. The universe stopped turning and for just an instant, it was just the three of them in all of creation. How did he get so lucky? He was suddenly grateful whatever power it was that controlled the goings-on in the universe.

The nurse chuckled at him as she set the baby in his arms. "There you see, you're doing it like and old pro already." She turned to Sarah and helped her open the front of her gown. Gently she showed her what she needed to do and then took the baby back from the Doctor and held him up to Sarah's chest. In a few moments he was gurgling contently as he had his first meal. His little hand rested against Sarah's chest and he looked up at her intently.

The Doctor was mesmerized, then realized something. "I should... I should let the ... the family know."

"That's a good idea sweetheart, they must be wondering what's happened by now," said Sarah. "We'll be right here when you get back."

"You'd better be," he said, smiling at her and then heading for the door. As he put a hand on the door, something occurred to him and he turned back to her. "Seriously, don't go getting kidnapped, or transmatted, or anything while I'm in the hallway, all right?"


	10. Chapter 10

Sarah laughed. "Oh, I promise, I really do. You have my word on it," she said, mocking his old self.

He caught the mocking and gave her a stern look, then strode over and gave her a kiss. "Seriously. Stay put," he said, and went back out into the hallway, heading into the waiting room. Everyone looked at him expectantly, practically leaping to their feet when he hit the doorway. He was grinning so hard that Jack decided that there was no question of trying to pull off a practical joke.

"Well?" they all demanded in unison.

He held a hand up and the cacophony ceased. "It's a Time Lord."

"Are Sarah Jane and the baby alright," asked Martha.

"Does he have all his fingers and toes," asked Jack.

"You look awful, but happy, Doctor," said Alonzo.

"A boy! Congratulations," said Mickey smiling.

"Yes, yes, yes, and thank you," the Doctor said, pointing to each person to whom he was responding. "Everything went fine, she's giving him his first feeding right now. Not sure when you can see him, but he's perfect," he said, grin still plastered on his face. "I don't think I'll ever stop smiling. I held him!" he said excitedly.

"That warrants a hug," Jack said, and gave him one before he could protest. The Doctor decided not to protest. If ever he was going to revel in family, today was the day to do it.

"I want one too," said Martha.

The Doctor let go of Jack and hugged her too.

"Well Doctor," said Alonzo. "If you're passing out hugs, I think we should all get one."

"You're absolutely right," he grinned, and gave everyone a hug.

While he was hugging, Mickey slipped away, around a corner. He was back in a moment and he nodded at Martha.

"Doctor," said Martha. "We all chipped in and bought you a present."

"Really? You know I love prezzies," he said excitedly.

"Here," said Martha, smiling as she handed him two blue and white cigar boxes. Each one contained two dozen foil wrapped chocolate cigars that said 'It's a Boy!' on them. "It's a custom for new Fathers on Earth to pass those out when you have a baby, so we brought a set of each with us."

"Yes, that's right, I hadn't thought about that," the Doctor said. "That's so very thoughtful of all of you, thank you very much."

"Great," said Jack smiling. "Now are you going to pass those out, or what?"

"Of course," he said, giving each of them one of the cigars. "You're all wonderful, thank you so much."

Just then the nurse came out and walked over to the Doctor. "Doctor Smith, your wife and baby are ready to be transferred to their room in the maternity ward. is all finished up and he would like to say goodbye to you too."

"Oh! I've got to get back to them," the Doctor said frantically, handing the nurse a cigar, then, giving the boxes back to Jack, mumbling "hold this" and literally running back into the delivery room, telling himself all the way that his fear that they were gone was completely unfounded.

Sarah and the baby were not only still there, they were comfortably situated in a bed the nurse had helped them into, and waiting to be transferred. "Hello darling. We're all ready to go to a regular room now. We were just waiting for you."

Dr. Tranq walked up to the Doctor. "I'll be going now, congratulations both of you. I'll expect to see you three again in about a month for your post natal checkup, Sarah Jane. Remember, if you have any problems or questions, feel free to call me." He held a tentacle out to the Doctor. "Good luck with your new family."

The Doctor pumped his tentacle enthusiastically. "Dr. Tranq, I can't thank you enough. We'll be there for our checkup, I can assure you."

"Always a pleasure," he said as he slithered out of the room.

The nurse came back in and stood at the foot of the bed. "Ready to go downstairs to your room?"

"Yes please," said Sarah Jane. She held the baby in her arms and the Doctor walked beside her as she was wheeled out of the room.

Everyone in their adopted family was waiting eagerly to see her and the baby. She smiled at them when the doors opened and she saw them all standing there. She was glowing with joy and love.

"Well, isn't that a beautiful sight," Jack said. "And the baby looks good too."

The Doctor was so happy he didn't even bother to scold Jack.

Martha came to her side and gave both Sarah and the baby a kiss on the forehead. "Congratulations, Sarah Jane, you did great."

"Thanks, but, I couldn't have done it without the Doctor there to help. He was wonderful throughout the whole thing." Sarah smiled warmly at the Doctor.

"I'm sure he was," Alonzo said. "Good job, Doctor."

"Thank you," he smiled proudly.

"I think you're both simply wonderful," Martha smiled affectionately at them. "And this fine young man is just amazing. One of the most beautiful and most perfect babies I've ever seen. Of course, I think Cecily is **the** most beautiful, and most perfect baby in the universe, but as a new mum, I'm sure you understand that," smiled Martha.

"Of course I do, Martha," smiled Sarah back at her. 'We've both been blessed."

"Oh, he's gorgeous Sarah Jane," said Jack. "He's a real little heart breaker. Hello handsome," he said as he kissed him on the cheek. "Happy Birthday, uh-mm, what did you name him?"

"Well," the Doctor said, "we went back and forth. Sarah wanted to name him after me, but nobody we meet could actually pronounce my Gallifreyan name even if they knew what it was, so we decided on initials."

Martha looked at him suspiciously. "Initials?"

"Yes. We decided on DR. You know, like calling a human JR for 'Junior.'"

"Right," smiled Sarah. "He'll be named after the Doctor's Gallifreyan name, but we'll call him DR for short."

"Well Happy Birthday then, DR, you adorable little guy," Jack smiled at him. 

Soon they were in front of the huge twin doors that led to the Maternity wing. Alonzo and Jack ran ahead, each opening one of the doors. When they got inside of Sarah's room, it had a huge banner hanging up that read "Welcome to the Universe Little Time Lord". The room had flowers, cake, sparkling fruit juice and gifts everywhere. Sarah's mouth dropped open with surprise. "Oh my, this is all so beautiful." She turned to the Doctor. "Did you know about this?"

The Doctor looked around him, as surprised as Sarah Jane was. "I'm as stunned as you are."

"DR is the first baby Time Lord ever," Martha said. "We couldn't let that pass."

"And with you two for parents," a voice said, "he's going to have some personality." Wilf stepped out from behind the door.

"Wilfred!" the Doctor cried, pulling him into a huge hug. "How did you -?"

"I went and got him," Jack said. "We all decided months ago to give the baby this party," Jack said. "We just didn't figure he'd have so much excitement before he was even born."

"Have to say," Wilf added, "I'd much rather go gallivanting around the universe in that box of yours than do **that **again." He shuddered. "I think," he said conspiratorially, "we know why he's a little off."

The assemblage laughed, Jack harder than anybody.

"Oh Wilf, it's so very nice to see you again," said Sarah smilingly warmly at him. "Wouldn't you like to come see your honorary grandson?"

"Not so honorary," the Doctor said.

Wilf waved him off. "I certainly would, this is a long trip **not** to see him." He slowly approached, and smiled as he stared at the baby, reaching out for his tiny hand. "You know, I'll be eighty-two years old on my next birthday, and I still haven't seen anything as miraculous as a new baby." He leaned down to give the baby a kiss.

DR gazed up at him with his huge dark blue eyes and gurgled at him. Then he waved his arms at Wilf.

"Would you like to hold him, grandpa," asked Sarah Jane, still smiling.

"Absolutely," he said, gently taking the baby into his arms. Two small tears slid down his cheeks. "And to think this moment almost didn't happen." He looked up quickly and smiled, changing the subject. "Well, at least I have one grandchild while I'm still young enough to remember his name. Donna's so independent, who knows when she and Sean will come through on that score," he laughed.

Sarah was so happy at that moment. The Doctor stood by her side and held her hand. She gave it a gentle squeeze as everyone watched Wilf with DR.

"So, Doctor," said Martha, eyeing him with an amused gleam. "What exactly happened to cause the two of you to arrive looking the way you did?"

"Ah, that," the Doctor said. "Well, we -" He suddenly realized something. "The Gonofin! They're still in the TARDIS!" He turned to Sarah. "I'll be right back, I promise!" And he took off down the hall, sprinting for the TARDIS.

Everyone in the room turned and looked at Sarah, waiting for an explanation.

Sarah shrugged and smiled. "Well, it's like this you see, the TARDIS, as she's sometimes known to do, landed us in the wrong place..."

The Doctor arrived back just at the part where Sarah Jane, now once again holding their child, was explaining that the 'Lobstermen' were using the Gonofin for food.

"Right," said Mickey, laughing hard. "I get it, a people bib."

"Sorry," the Doctor said, "just had to rectify a little problem. At any rate, since Sarah was in labor, we didn't have time to hang around and really solve the problem, so after a few ... er ... missteps -"

"Missteps," Sarah exclaimed laughing. "My water broke, I had strong labor pains, we were almost eaten by Lobstermen, the baby was almost delivered by an old woman in a mud pit, and he calls it a few missteps."

"Good heavens," said Wilf in shock. "How did you manage to get away from them and back into the TARDIS safely?"

"Very simple," the Doctor said. "We persuaded the Gonofin to come with us temporarily, and my warrior queen here cleared the way." He kissed Sarah on the forehead.

"Warrior Queen!" the five of them said in unison.

"What do you mean, warrior queen?" asked Wilf first, though the question was on everyone's lips.

"Well, you know Sarah Jane under normal circumstances," the Doctor added, "can you imagine what she'd be like if a giant lobster were trying to eat our baby? She got a hold of a big stick and before I even knew what was happening, there were crustaceans scattered everywhere."

Now everyone was staring at Sarah in amazement.

Sarah Jane blushed as she shrugged again. "Well, I wasn't thinking actually, just reacting. I didn't want to have the baby right there in the mud, let alone have it be eaten. Besides, one of those things almost took the Doctor's head off."

They were still staring at her.

"Look," said Sarah defensively. "I was having serious labor pains. Screaming as loud as I could and swinging that stick helped me deal with the pain."

"If I ever have another baby," smiled Martha. "I'll try to remember that little trick when the hard labor starts." She looked over at Mickey.

Mickey put his arms around her, holding her hands closely. "As long as that stick's not aimed at me, you're welcome to try it, luv."

"Sure, that explains everything, but why you were on the floor strangling the Doctor with his own tie when I opened the door and rushed in," smiled Jack, trying hard not to laugh and barely succeeding.

"Uhm," said Sarah very quietly. "I was in a lot of pain at that point, and just a little miffed that the TARDIS wasn't getting us to the hospital fast enough."

"A little miffed?" the Doctor exclaimed. "You were 'a little miffed' the same way the TARDIS had 'a little misstep'. You were strangling me with my own neckwear. And anyway, in her defense," the Doctor said like a wounded little boy, "the TARDIS was trying to be careful so she wouldn't miss again."

"Sorry darling, I guess we were both caught up in the drama of the moment," she smiled lovingly at him and put her head down contritely. "Can you ever forgive me?"

The Doctor stifled a yawn "Of course, darling, I can forgive you anything. And anyway, it's all over now. DR is here, and beautiful," he said, tentatively touching the baby's tiny fingers, "and I've put the Gonofin back on the planet in their future, after the Lobstermen have abandoned it for lack of food. Bad resource managers, they were. So all is right with the universe."

"Good for you, sweetheart," Sarah Jane smiled. "That was brilliant thinking on your part. I'm so proud of you."

"The feeling is mutual, darling." The Doctor settled into the chair next to Sarah's bed. He let out a mighty yawn, adrenaline finally beginning to give way. "I can't wait to see what happens next Thanksgiving."

"I can," Sarah Jane laughed. She looked around the room at all of their friends and then at the Doctor and their son sleeping in her arms. She smiled contentedly. Everything was as it should be.

* * *

**Author's note:**

And speaking of things being as they should be, the two of us will be taking a break for a few weeks while we move to a new house. We're extremely grateful for your support, and we've got some great things in the pipeline, including a story that shows the Doctor and Sarah's progeny in action, the return of Little Sarah Jane, and a Doctor Who mystery. (And we're looking for beta readers, hint, hint! :)) If you want to be alerted when we start up again, please set us as an Author Alert, or let us know and we'll ping you when the next pieces go up.

Thanks so much for your support and reviews! We'll be back some time in the summer.


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